Is your IT system as smart as it could be?

As well as the advice we give our customers, fundamentally we are all in the business of information. To progress clients’ applications, be they mortgage or protection, we gather, collate, store and pass on information. Information technology is something we all rely on, but are we getting what we need from our IT?

Making sure that the information we receive, and give to lenders and providers is correct, stored properly, accessible and up-to-date is the one thing that our businesses will live or die on. Any back office system therefore needs to be robust, but also intelligent. After all we’re only human, so any tools we can use to make our lives easier, has to be a good thing.

When I say intelligent, I don’t mean like Hal in 2001 a Space Odyssey, something that takes away our ability to think for ourselves. It’s about using intelligence to help us in our everyday tasks. We all like to think we know everything (be honest), that we can remember everything any client has ever said to us and that we will remember to call in five years’ time, when their fixed rate comes to an end. But, be honest, we all need a little help.

An intelligent office system will give you the reminders you need. When you start a case it will prompt you to input information you will later rely on to increase your business. As your cases progress it will check that you’ve got all the information you need and that you’re up to date. From the information you input it will help you build your business, ensure you get paid the right amount, stay compliant and ensure your clients’ applications progress as swiftly as is ‘humanly’ possible.

In our businesses, information technology needs to be intelligent. Think about it; is your back office system putting the ‘I’ into IT?